Wear and degradation as exhibited by degassing of three commercially available perfluoroalkylpolyethers, A, straight chain with acetal linkage (OCF2CF2)p(OCF2)q;B, straight chain without acetal linkage (CF2CF2CF2O)n; C, branched chain (CFCF3CF2O)m, were evaluated at 0.025 mis under 1 to 300 N at 10−5Pa in a four-ball configuration using 440C and Si3N4balls, Φ:6.35 mm, as test specimens. A quadrupole mass spectrometer having a mass range of 1 to 200 amu was employed to analyze gaseous products released from the sliding surfaces.